L'Hêtre Rêve by Nez à Nez, 2008

L'Hetre Reve opens with a big blast of spice with cloves, cinnamon and amber to the fore and I'm thinking I might give it a miss. I was also checking out Mercheri's Oliban, which is similar but without the clove kick and was definitely going to purchase. However, the drydown of L'Hetre Reve changed my mind very quickly. A beautiful accord of lush woods, leather and plum was beginning to show it's hand and I was smitten.

LHetre Reve is like a deja vu.Instantly my mind was transferred at the scene of Alice in Wonderland,where Alice meets the caterpillar,on the big colourful mushroom smoking a pipe.The charming aromas surround her and bring dizziness,she got to move on but it wouldn't mind if she stays for a little while,after all it's so cozy and intoxicating.

Spicy amber and aromatic sandalwood... hey wait, I know this frag! This smells a heck of a lot like Egoiste. It's subtler and develops into a vanilla amber towards the end but the opening and heart feels just like Egoiste. Sometimes "clones" are good.